Tough Love
by Lucy.Light.Peace.Happiness
Summary: When someone is after Charlie, How far will Brax go to protect her? First ever fanfic so no flames please : Rated T for violence.
1. Their new beginning

**I'm so nervous! This is my first ever fanfic! Please be supportive Constructive criticism is welcome but nothing too horrible please! And please review! Disclaimer- I DO NOT OWN HOME AND AWAY OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS APART FROM MY OWN IMAGINARY ONES!**

**Anyway, here's the summary:**

_**Charlie and Brax have been through so much, but now they're happier than they've ever been before. Their relationship is public and they are now living in their own house with Ruby and Casey. But when someone is after Charlie, how far will Brax go to protect her?**_

_**Here's the first chapter- 'Their new beginning' (Sorry it's short but I wanted to see if it was okay first).**_

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><p><em><strong>Charlie's POV<strong>_

I smiled as I read his message.

'_**I miss you. See you at home, Brax xx'.**_

I quickly replied.

'_**I miss you too. Wish I was with you, Charlie xx'**_

I meant that too. I was at the diner waiting for Bianca; she said she wanted to catch up. Ever since she and Liam got engaged, we haven't spoken very much. She suddenly walked in, with a beaming smile on her face.

"Hey, I'm so sorry I'm late! I couldn't find my bag!" Bianca puffed.

"Don't worry about it. Why are you so happy?" Charlie asked.

"Wouldn't you be if you were engaged?"

"Fair enough."

We talked for about an hour. We talked about her wedding plans and about how me and Brax are doing, but she had arranged to meet Liam to discuss more wedding plans. When she left, I ordered another coffee. I didn't want to go home yet, Brax wouldn't be there.

**Brax's POV**

The restaurant was really busy, for once. At least it gave us more money to pocket. Things were looking good until one of Jake's gang members strolled in.

"What's up Braxton?" He sneered.

"What do you want David?" Brax asked.

"I have a message from Jake. He wants you dead. So you better watch your back, and look out for everyone you care about". David growled, as he strode out of the restaurant. His words left me feeling uneasy _'__Look__out__for__everyone__you__care__about__'__._ I was scared that he would go after Ruby or Casey, or even Charlie! I needed to get home so I could let them know what was going on before it was too late.

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><p><strong>So there it is! The first chapter of 'Tough Love'. What do you think? Please review and let me know your ideas and suggestions! (The next chapter will be longer!) xx<strong>


	2. A night to remember

**Thank you so much for the reviews! **

**I DO NOT OWN HOME AND AWAY OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS APART FROM MY IMAGINARY ONES! As much as I would like to ;)**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

**Lucy xx**

**Brax's POV**

I drove home as fast as I could. I couldn't bear it if Jake hurt someone else to get at me. Ever since his brother's death, I knew he would do anything to get revenge on me. I parked outside, shoved my key through the door, and strode inside.

"Charlie? Case? Ruby?" I shouted, there was no reply. _Great, I rush home to tell them something that's really important and no one's even here._ I thought. Just as I finished this thought, Ruby and Casey ambled inside.

**Ruby's POV **

"Where have you two been?" Brax demanded. He seemed agitated for some reason.

"We were at the beach with April and Dex". Casey carefully replied. "What's up with you?" Brax motioned to the table and chairs and told us to sit down.

"Now that we're sitting comfortably, will you please tell us what's going on?" I pleaded. He was really starting to scare me, so I gripped Casey's hand.

"I had a visit from David, one of Jake's members, today. He said to watch my back and to look out for people I care about." Brax confessed. I stiffened as he told us this. I know what Jake and his crew are capable of. Brax continued,

"So I need you two to stick together, don't stay out when it's too late, and make sure you're not out on your own. Please?" Brax begged. I didn't need to be told twice, I nodded quickly while Casey was telling Brax that everything would be okay.

"Hey, where's Charlie?" Brax panicked. _Oh God. Where is she? She told me where she was going…_ And suddenly, I remembered.

"She said she was going out with Bianca tonight! She told me that she was going to text you." I cried.

**Brax's POV**

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, and Ruby was right, Charlie had text me.

'_Going out with Bianca tonight. Girl's night only. Sorry! Don't wait up for me. Getting ready at Bianca's house so I probably won't see you until tomorrow xx I love you xx_

I had to tell her not to go! I dialled her number but it just kept ringing and it eventually went to voicemail. I checked the time. Nine o'clock! She would probably already be on her way there, and it was getting dark! The only thing I could do was to keep ringing her and hope that she picks up!

**Charlie's POV**

"Are we there yet?" I wondered aloud to Bianca. I was starting to feel a little bit sick.

"We'll be there in about ten minutes." She estimated. I was actually looking forward to a night out. We hadn't been out in ages! At least it felt like ages anyway. We had chosen to go to a club in the middle of the city because we had been there before. There was a big bar, and better yet, and even bigger dance floor!

"Oh! There it is! Turn left please!" Bianca pointed to the club. The taxi driver pulled up outside the club. We paid him and walked into the club. I could tell that this was going to be a great night!

**Casey's POV**

I was starting to worry. About Charlie _and _Brax! We had no idea where Charlie and Bianca were, and Brax was getting ready to pull his hair out!

"The one time I really need to get in touch with her, she won't answer her phone!" Brax shouted, punching the wall as he said this. I grabbed his shoulders.

"Brax! Just calm down! Charlie is an ex- police officer! I think she can look after herself." I pointed out. He just looked at me.

"Case! You know what they're capable of! Remember last time when Hammer kidnapped her? He nearly killed us both!" He argued.

"I know that, but Hammer's dead now! He can't do anything to you or Charlie!"

"Which makes Jake more ruthless!" We argued like this for the next ten minutes.

"Look, arguing is not helping! Do you want to try and find her? I can come with you." I offered. Brax shook his head.

"There's no point. It's so dark outside, we wouldn't see anything! And there are so many clubs in the city; I wouldn't know where to start!" He moaned.

"Just keep trying to get in touch. She has to pick up her phone eventually!" I said.

**Bianca's POV**

"Another drink?" I offered Charlie. She checked the time on her watch.

"Yeah sure, but we should get going in about half an hour." She replied. I was just about the pay for the drinks, when a man came over and paid instead.

"I can't let you ladies pay for your own drinks can I?" he said as he handed us our drinks. I looked at Charlie with a confused look, she did the same.

"Err… thanks. But you didn't have to pay for those." Charlie insisted.

"I think I know a way for you to repay me…" He seductively replied, eyeing us carefully. I looked at Charlie and we both stood up.

"We have to go now, and I don't want to see you following us. Okay?" I ordered as we walked off.

**No one's POV**

What Charlie and Bianca hadn't noticed was the mystery man slowly reaching into Charlie's bag as he bought the drinks. He quickly slipped her phone into his pockets before either of them noticed. He checked the phone after they left.

_16 missed calls- Brax xx_

_3 messages-_

'_Hey where are you? Brax xx'_

'_RING ME WHEN YOU GET THIS PLEASE! Brax xx'_

'_Charlie, ring me please! This is really important! Brax xx'_

He laughed at the messages, and returned the phone to his pocket and walked away.

**Charlie's POV**

"Hey Charlie, I need to go to the toilet before we go." Bianca said.

"Okay. You go and I'll go outside and wait for the taxi." I replied as I walked off. It was freezing outside, and deserted too. '_I should call Brax'_ I thought to myself. He was probably wondering where I was. I reached into my bag, but I couldn't find my phone. '_Great. I must have dropped it in the club. I'll have to borrow Bianca's phone.'_ And suddenly, I was grabbed from behind. Just as I was about to attack, I was hit in the back of my head with something, and everything faded to black


	3. A Hole In My Heart

**Thank you soooooo much for reviewing Keep it up! This has been the best chapter to write so far :D Hope you like it! This will be the last update before Christmas :D Soo… Merry Christmas! **

**Lucy xx **

**Bianca's POV**

I walked outside and looked for Charlie. I was actually starting to think that she had left without me! I decided to ring her. She picked up.

"Charlie? Where are you? I'm stood outside in the freezing cold by myself!" I laughed. I froze when the voice on the other end of the phone spoke.

"Your friend is a bit tied up at the moment. Don't even think about calling the police, or your friend might not be so lucky." The voice sounded gruff and frightening, and the line went dead.

**Brax's POV**

I was still up. I knew it was late but I couldn't sleep. Not until Charlie got home. I was watching TV when the phone rang.

"Brax! Is that you?" Bianca cried. I could tell that something was wrong.

"What is it? Is Charlie okay?" I spluttered. Bianca went silent.

"Bianca what is it? You're scaring me." I pleaded. Bianca took a deep breath.

"I went to the toilet while Charlie was outside, waiting for the taxi. I came back out and I couldn't find her, so I decided to ring her. When I rang her, a man picked up and said that he had Charlie and if we ring the police, he'll hurt her." Bianca blurted out in about ten seconds. I thought for a moment.

"Do you know anyone who might have taken her?"

"Well, this guy was bothering us in the club, but that's all I can think of." Bianca admitted. I buried my head in my hands. That didn't help us find out where Charlie was. I told Bianca to go and wake Ruby and Casey and to tell them what's happened. They might help us find a way to get to Charlie. I knew one thing; Jake had something to do with it, and when I found him, I would kill him.

**Charlie's POV**

I woke with an agonizing pain in the back of my head. I was in a room, a pitch-black room actually. Where was I? I remembered waiting for the taxi, and then someone grabbed me, but that's all I can remember. I froze as the door opened. A man walked in. He looked familiar.

"How's your head?" He smirked. I knew that voice!

"You offered us the drinks at the club! Where's Bianca?" I growled. I tried to stand up but then I realised my hands were tied behind my back. My feet were also tied. I was completely defenceless.

"Probably on her way home, worrying about you. We didn't touch her, we didn't _want _her." He whispered, sending chills down my spine. I was terrified. No one knew where I was. I had no chance.

**Ruby's POV**

We sat in silence. All of us lost in our own thoughts, although, we were all probably thinking about Charlie. My mother could have been anywhere, with anyone. That's what scared me. Brax was trying to stay strong but I could tell that he was breaking down. We all felt so useless. We couldn't do anything until the person got in contact.

"This is my fault. I shouldn't have left her out there on her own." Bianca sniffled. I hugged her.

"Bianca, you didn't know what was going to happen. Stop beating yourself up about it. We need to be focused on Charlie." I soothed. She nodded in agreement.

"I'm so worried about her. Who knows what they could have done to her?" Brax exclaimed. I didn't even want to think about that.

**Charlie's POV **

"Get up!" The man ordered as he untied me. I didn't move.

"I said get up!" he roared. I still didn't move

"Get up!" he yelled as he slapped me around the face. I held my head in my hands as he threw me onto my feet. He pushed me into another room and shut the door.

"Why am I here?" I asked. I still had to remain strong.

"I think he can tell you that." He said, gesturing towards the door with was now open. Another man walked inside.

"Jake!" I spluttered. My legs turned to jelly beneath me. I now understood the trouble I was in.

"Hello sergeant." He sneered. I retreated back a few steps. I wanted to be as far away from him as possible. He came closer.

"What do you want from me?" I shrieked. He still came closer. His face was inches away from mine.

"Revenge." He whispered as he knocked me to the floor. I could feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. They both started beating me. I curled myself in a ball and pictured Brax, Ruby and Casey. I imagined I was with them instead of this horrible place.

**Brax's POV**

"This is the only place I could think of, and she's not here!" I stormed, as we got back in the car. We had just been to Jake's headquarters, but it was completely deserted.

"He's too smart. He knew that we would check here. That's why Charlie isn't here." Casey declared. I was just about to drive off when I noticed something in the bushes move. I slowly got out of the car and walked towards the bushes.

"Brax, where are you going?" Ruby called out to me. I didn't reply. I got to the bushes, but nothing was there. _It must have been some kind of animal_ I thought to myself. I then noticed and envelope. I picked it up and opened it. It was a note.

'_If you're reading this, you're as predictable as I thought you would be. It also means that you haven't called the police. Smart choice. She's alive. Just about anyway. But pretty soon this will be the only thing you'll have to remember her.'_ I reached inside the envelope, and I pulled out a necklace. The necklace I gave to Charlie for her birthday. He could have been lying when he said that Charlie was only just about alive, but I doubted it. As I held her necklace, I let my tears fall.

**Charlie's POV**

I lay still. I didn't have the energy to move. I was pretty sure my leg was broken, in more than one place. And I was still loosing blood. The two of them just looked down on me, laughed, and walked out of the room. I wished Brax was there. He would have comforted me and stroked my hair, telling me that everything was going to be okay. He would have made the pain go away.

**Brax's POV**

I sat on the sofa all night, with the necklace in my hands. I think everyone was worrying about me, but I didn't care. I was numb. The only thing I could think about was Charlie and what they were doing to her. And suddenly, the phone rang. I got up to answer it.

"Darryl. Nice to hear from you." Jake's voice snapped on the other end of the phone.

"What the hell have you done with Charlie?" I screamed. He chuckled.

"Don't worry, she is still alive. You can even speak to her!" Jake exclaimed. The line went silent for a minute.

"Jake, If you've done anything to her-" I started.

"Brax?" Charlie whispered. She sounded so scared and battered. It was reassuring to hear her voice, even like that. It told me that she was still alive.

"Charlie! Everything is going to be fine. I promise. Tell me where you are." I pleaded.

"I… I don't know where I am." She admitted. Her voice had no hope whatsoever.

"Charlie, Listen to me baby. I'm going to come and find you. But in the meantime, you need to stay strong. Don't give up. Okay?" I urged.

"Brax, I don't thi-" Charlie started.

"Time's up." Jake growled. I heard Charlie shouting at him on the other end.

"Hey, Dave, take care of her will you?" He shouted to someone. _David is helping him. _I thought to myself. I heard Charlie scream, a soft thud, and then silence.

"What the hell have you done to her?" I yelled. "You won't get away with this Jake. I'm going to kill you." I threatened. I heard him laugh.

"You'll have to find me first Braxton!" Jake taunted, and the line went dead.

**Casey's POV**

I heard Brax shouting at someone on the phone. I was just about go and see who it was when Ruby walked in.

"I think Brax is talking to the person who kidnapped Charlie!" Ruby wailed.

"Don't worry Rubes, Brax will sort it out." I reassured her. She lied beside me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and watched fall asleep in my arms.

**Charlie's POV**

When I woke, I was back in the dark room by myself. I kept thinking about Brax's voice on the phone, telling me to be strong and to never give up hope. Just hearing his voice gave me enough strength to keep going. But it didn't stop the pain in my head. Or my heart. I heard them speaking outside, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. I knew I wouldn't last much longer if I kept getting head injuries. I just hope Brax can get here before It's too late.


	4. Fading Away

**Hello! Back with another update how long do you think this story should be? Let me know when you review I hope you all had a great Christmas and got everything you could have wanted! Not my best Christmas if I'm honest, but I made the most of it anyway, on with the story!**

**Lucy xx**

**Brax's POV**

I sat on the sofa with Ruby and Casey for the rest of the night. I couldn't sleep in the bed without Charlie. I told them to go back to bed, but they insisted on staying up with me. So that's what we did, we just sat there. All night.

"Brax, why don't you have something to eat?" Casey suggested. I just shook my head. I couldn't eat anything.

"Brax, you haven't eaten for the past two days!" Ruby pointed out. I shook my head again. Ruby and Casey looked at each other, sighed, and turned their attention back to the TV. I knew they were seriously worried about me, but I didn't care about myself, the only thing I cared about was Charlie.

**Bianca's POV**

When I woke, the sun was shining through the curtains. _I must have nodded off for a couple of hours_ I thought to myself. I was worried about Charlie. Liam walked in with a coffee.

"Hey, did you get any sleep?" He asked with concern. I nodded.

"I think I had a couple of hours." I yawned. He sat on the bed and put the coffee on my bedside table.

"Babe, I know that you're worried about Charlie, we all are. But you need to look after yourself, and that means getting some sleep!" He commanded. I just nodded my head and lay my head back down on my pillow. I felt him lie beside me as he put his arms around my waist, and slowly, I felt myself drifting off to sleep.

**Brax's POV**

I was on my own in the house. I told Ruby and Casey to go to the beach and relax. I kept thinking about my conversation with Charlie. It was killing me, having no idea where Charlie was. I went to get myself a glass of water when someone posted something through the door. It was an envelope, with no name on it. I picked it up and opened it. It was another note. '_You're not very good at playing hide and seek are you? Maybe you should practise. Follow the pictures and you'll find a clue._ It may have been a trick, but then, again, it might have led me to something important. Something that would lead me to Charlie. I was willing to take the risk. I walked out of the door, and I followed the pictures.

**Ruby's POV**

"I think we needed that to be honest." Casey said as we walked back up to the house.

"Yeah, it did feel good to get out of the house." I replied. We strolled inside.

"Brax?" Casey called. I checked all the rooms.

"He's not here! Why did he leave the door unlocked?" I wondered aloud.

"Hang on, he left a note!" Casey called from the kitchen. '_Gone out. Sorry, didn't have time to lock the door. Really important! I'll be back before it's dark. Brax_'. I looked at Casey.

"We should go and look for him." I told Casey. He nodded as we walked out of the door.

**Charlie's POV**

They hadn't come yet. I was sat in my room; actually, it was more of a prison cell to be honest. I didn't know how many more beatings I could take. But if I fought back, they would just beat me harder for a longer amount of time. I found that out the hard way. I hadn't looked at myself in the mirror, but I didn't think it would have been a pretty sight. I could tell I had bruises all over my face, my leg was completely mangled, and my neck and arms were covered in cuts and bruises. Then the door opened.

"Good day sergeant." Jake sneered, carrying a bat with him. David walked in after him. That's when the beating started. They hit my mangled leg, which was agonizing. They then hit my stomach and my arms, causing bruises on my stomach to form and my cuts to bleed more. And lastly, they hit my head. I could feel my skull being crushed and the blood rushing to my mouth. But then, I blacked out.

**Brax's POV**

The pictures were of Charlie, before she was kidnapped. She looked beautiful because she healthy and happy. _They must've taken the picture off her phone _I thought. Seeing her picture was agonizing, knowing I couldn't help her or protect her. But if this clue helped me find her, then I would've dealt with it. Every time I came across a picture, I took it down and carried it with me. The pictures led me to the beach. I said to the kids that I'd be back before it was dark, and the sun was setting already! I walked across the beach, but as I got to the end, there was a campfire and something was burning. I walked closer and noticed that it was a picture, of me and Charlie. But her face was crossed out in red pen. I sat on the beach, staring at the ocean, watching the waves crash onto the shore. It must have been about five minutes before I noticed the envelope. I opened it and I read the note. _'Congratulations, you have nothing. She's almost gone. You better hurry up before it's too late. She's fading fast.' _I ripped the note up before throwing it into the fire. I just sat there watching it burn until I heard Ruby and Casey's voices behind me.

**Casey's POV**

Brax told us what happened. I can't believe someone could be so cruel. _Those two must have messed up lives_ I thought to myself. We walked back up to the house in silence. As we got closer, we froze. The door had been kicked down.

"Ruby, Case, stay here. I'm going to have a look inside." He whispered as he crept towards the empty doorway.

"Brax, you're not going in there on your own" I hissed. He looked at us, and he sighed.

"Fine, but stick close behind me okay?" He hissed back to me. We walked inside, ready to attack, but nothing was there. We checked every single room, but there was nothing. We heard Ruby scream in the living room.

"Ruby! What's wrong?" I exclaimed, as we rushed into the room. She was holding a piece of paper. She handed it to Brax.

**Brax's POV**

I was nearly sick when Ruby handed me the paper. It had a message. '_Her own flesh and blood. Enjoy.'_ It was written in her blood. Casey tried to comfort Ruby, who was in floods of tears. Once again, I couldn't say anything.

"What else can they do?" Casey shouted. I just shrugged my shoulders. Just knowing that they had shed some of her blood was devastating.

"They've hurt my mum." Ruby stated as she sobbed. I walked up to her and gave her a hug.

"Rubes, I know this is disgusting and horrifying, but we need to stick together. We will get to Charlie before it's too late." I assured her. Ruby just sniffed and nodded.

**Charlie's POV**

I felt my life slowly slipping away from me, and it was painful. The sharp, everlasting pain seeping through your body. There were times when I just felt like giving up, like I should have just stopped fighting. But then I thought of Brax, Casey and Ruby. I remembered the good times we had shared, and also the bad times, and there were plenty! Just thinking of those people made me happy, it made the pain easier to cope with. But I couldn't cope forever.

**Brax's POV**

"I'm going out for a drive." I called. I started to walk out the door. Casey rushed in.

"Brax, wait. Do you really think that's a good idea? You're not thinking straight." Casey pointed out. I looked at him.

"Case, that's why I'm going out, I need to clear my head." I'll be back soon." I said as I walked out the door. I got into my car and I made my way down to the beach. I walked down to the shore and I sat on the sand. I was sat there for ten minutes, and then I heard a noise. I walked down to the end of the beach and I saw someone clearing up the fire I sat by earlier today. _David_ I assumed to myself. I stayed in the shadows and watched him for a while and then I walked back up to my car. I decided to call Casey and Ruby.

"Casey! Get down to the beach now! David is here! If we follow him we can get to Charlie! Hurry up! If you run it will only take five minutes!" I urged him.

"We're on our way." Casey stated and he hung up. Surely enough, five minutes later, Casey and Ruby were sat in my car with me, waiting for David's next move. We sat in the shadows as we watched him get in his car and pull out of the car park. I did the same. And then, the chase began.


	5. Love Will Find A Way

**Sorry to leave you guys on a cliff hanger in the last chapter! ;) Thank you sooo much for the reviews! It makes my day and it makes me carry on with this story, which has been amazing to write. So thank you and keep it up! Hope you like this chapter, it was amazing to write!**

**Lucy xx**

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><p><strong>Ruby's POV<strong>

We followed David, but we followed at a reasonable pace behind, just so he couldn't tell we were following him. We drove most of the way in silence. But eventually, we came up with a plan.

"First rule, we stick together. There are three of us and only two of them, but they have weapons. I can guarantee that." Brax instructed.

"I feel like we're doing a mission from James Bond." Casey muttered.

"This is just as important Case!" Brax argued.

"I never said it wasn't Brax!" Casey snapped. I looked at them both.

"Seriously! We're on our way to stand up to two psychopaths, and you two are arguing?" I shouted. The both shushed me.

"Sorry Rubes, your right. But we need to keep quiet in case anyone is around." Brax murmured. I slouched in my seat. I was satisfied that I got through to them.

**David's POV**

I had the strangest feeling that someone was following me as I was driving back to the hideout. I decided to stop around the nearest corner, and see if anyone drove past. I pulled over and waited for a few minutes. But no one came. _It must be the darkness playing tricks on me_ I thought to myself. I started the engine and I drove away.

**Brax's POV**

"Has he left Case?" I whispered as we sat between the trees. Case lifted his binoculars from his eyes.

"Yep, he's gone." Casey said. I and Ruby sighed with relief.

"I thought he was catching onto us for a moment!" Ruby panicked. I started the engine again.

"Let's go. He won't suspect us now." I whispered as we followed the road.

**Charlie's POV**

Jake was beating me again. I didn't know where David was. He knew my weak spots, and he hit them harder. He hit my glass of water of the desk and it shattered over me, causing more cuts and bruises. I didn't know how much blood I had lost. But I knew I had lost a lot. Jake laughed as he beat me.

"Where's Darryl, sergeant?" He sneered. "I thought he said that he would protect you, no matter what! That's what bugs me about him, he says one thing, and does another. But now, you're going to suffer for him." He laughed. I tried to block out his voice, but I couldn't. I hated what he was saying about Brax, and I knew that it wasn't true.

"Brax would be here in a heartbeat if he knew where I was." I croaked. He kneeled beside me.

"I'm sure he would be. But he won't be finding out anytime soon. And hopefully, when he does, you'll already be dead." Jake warned as he backed out of the room.

**Casey's POV**

We had been travelling for about an hour now. We were all tired, but no of us could sleep. We had to make sure that we didn't miss anything, in case Davis made a sudden change of direction, or anything like that. I held Ruby's hand for the whole journey. I could tell she was scared for Charlie.

"Don't worry Rubes, your mum is one of the strongest people I have ever met. If anyone can get through this torture, she can." I whispered to her. She looked at me and squeezed my hand. I assumed that she was saying thank you. Brax broke the silence.

"He's pulled up by that old building." Brax pointed out as we pulled in a few metres away. We waited for five minutes after he went inside. And then, we were ready to attack.

**Charlie's POV**

I was alone again. I felt so weak. I knew I would only last a few more hours. I had lost too much blood. I lay on the floor and tried to sleep, but I was in too much pain. The house was silent, so silent that it actually scared me. But then, the door was kicked down and shouting erupted from the other room. I wanted to see who it was, but I couldn't stand up. And also, the door was locked anyway. I just hoped that they didn't beat me again. I had lost hope.

**Brax's POV**

"Case! Use the bat!" I shouted to him. He grabbed the bat and he swung it at David's head. The hit was direct and it knocked him out. I battled with Jake. He pushed me to the floor and just as he was about to hit me, he was also knocked to the floor. Casey stood behind him with the baseball bat. I nodded thanks to him.

"I think Charlie's in that room. You two should stay here and make sure they don't wake up." I told them. They both nodded. I took the key from Jake's pocket and I walked to the door. I turned the key and I opened the door. Nothing prepared me for the sight I saw once I opened that door. I saw Charlie, just lying there. She slowly turned her head to face mine.

"Brax." She whispered. I rushed over to her.

"Charlie! Thank God you're alive!" I exclaimed as I held her head.

"I won't be for much longer." She croaked. I had a closer look at her. She was completely battered and bruised. Some of her cuts were really severe, I could tell that she had several injuries to her head and her leg was broken.

"What the hell have they done to you?" I fumed. She didn't say anything. She just looked at me. I had missed looking at her beautiful blue eyes.

"Don't worry baby, we'll patch you up." I soothed her. "Case! Go and get the first aid kit from the car, quickly!" I shouted to him. He and Ruby came rushing in.

"Why what's-"Casey started.

"Oh my God! Charlie!" Ruby shrieked. I turned to face them.

"Ruby go with him, you'll find it faster if there are two of you looking." I urged them. They turned on their heels and ran out of the room.

"How often did they hurt you?" I asked softly. A tear slid down Charlie's face.

"Three times a day." She answered. Her eyes started to close. I tapped her cheek.

"Charlie, you've been fighting for days. Please, fight for just a little longer." I urged. She nodded and kept her eyes open. Ruby and Casey returned with the first aid kit. I knew I couldn't do much, but I bandaged her wounds and I stopped her head bleeding. At least she wouldn't have lost as much blood.

**Charlie's POV**

I felt better when Brax had treated me. But I knew I had to get to a hospital if I were to have a chance.

"I missed you lot." I whimpered to them.

"I think it's a bit of an understatement to say that we missed you too." Ruby blubbered.

**Brax's POV**

I held Charlie in my arms. I could feel her heartbeat. It was slow and faint, but it was there.

"Come on guys, let's get out of here. We need to get Charlie to a hospital." I told them.

"Okay. How are we going to get her out of here with a broken leg?" Ruby asked with concern.

"I think it's best if I carry her." I started. "It's going to hurt her however we carry her, but we need to get her out of here. Ruby and Casey nodded in agreement.

"Charlie, I'm going to carry you to the car okay? And it is going to hurt." I warned her. She nodded. I picked her up in a bridal style way. She cried out in pain as I did this. I hated her being in pain, but it was the quickest way out of here. We were just about to walk out of the door when I realised she needed a pillow or something for her leg.

"Guys, we need to look in the spare room and see if there is anything we can use to prop Charlie's leg up". I told them. I carefully placed Charlie on the floor and I helped them look.

"I've found a pillow!" Casey called.

"Great. Let's go." I encouraged as we walked into the main room. My heart stopped for a minute. Jake was standing there, with Charlie in his arms.

"I don't think you'll be going anywhere soon, if you want her to be okay." He taunted as he pointed at Charlie.

"Get away from her Jake!" I growled at him. I took a step closer to him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Braxton". He sneered as he took a gun from his pocket and pointed it at Charlie's head. She looked petrified.

"Do what I say and she doesn't get hurt…Yet." Jake laughed. "Get in that room, all three of you." He barked. I looked at Ruby and Casey. I nodded to them. We started walking to the room. I looked at Charlie.

"Stay strong baby. I love you." I whispered to her as he locked us inside.


	6. Sacrifices

**Hello again! You lovely people get another update on the same day! I won't be able to update tomorrow because I am going out for my friend's birthday! So I thought I should make it up to you by writing another chapter! Enjoy!**

**Lucy xx**

**Charlie's POV**

"Don't hurt them." I warned Jake. He pushed me to the floor.

"What are you going to do about it? You can hardly move!" Jake snarled. He picked me up and threw me into my prison cell. He could do anything to me, as long as he didn't hurt them.

**Brax's POV**

We sat there. At least I had Casey and Ruby with me, Charlie was by herself, and she needed someone with her more than any of us did.

"We've got to go and help Charlie! Who knows what Jake is doing to her? She could be dying right now!" I stressed.

"I know, but what are we supposed to do Brax? We already tried to kick the door down!" Casey reminded me.

"I just wish that there was another way out of here." I whined. I paced the room, trying to think of a way to help Charlie. I came up with nothing.

"We were so close! I can't believe I just left her in a room by herself! I should have stayed with her." I mourned. Ruby and Casey put their arms around me.

"Brax, you didn't know that they would wake up. None of us did! You can't blame yourself." Ruby soothed. A lot of her qualities remind me of Charlie. Her courage, intelligence and her looks. But right then, I needed Charlie.

**Charlie's POV**

I felt like it was my responsibility to help Brax, Ruby and Casey. It was my fault they were here in the first place. I had to at least try to help them out.

"Jake!" I yelled. He opened the door and walked inside.

"What?" He snapped. I looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Look, I don't care what you do to me, just leave them alone! Please?" I begged.

"Not to worry sergeant, I don't plan on harming any of them. I know that Darryl hurts more if someone else is hurt because of him, and you're the most important person in his life." He chuckled as he slammed the door, leaving me in my own thoughts. My own pain.

**Brax's POV**

Ruby and Casey had fallen asleep. I think the whole day must have tired them out. I couldn't sleep. I wanted Charlie. It was late, and the house was silent. But suddenly, I heard footsteps. They kept coming closer until they stopped outside our door. I heard the lock click and the door swung open. The noise jolted Ruby and Casey awake. Jake gestured towards the door.

"Go into the main room. David is in there so don't think about trying anything, if you want your girlfriend to live." He leered. We stood up and we walked into the main room. David tied each of us to a chair and spaced us around the room, we were all facing the centre of the room. Jake nodded in David's direction. David walked over to Charlie's room and opened the door. He dragged Charlie out of the room. She was limping severely. I felt so useless; I couldn't help her, again. David tossed her to Jake. She let out a small yelp. She was in pain.

"Jake, leave her alone. Please. Haven't you done enough to her?" I asked him.

"I'm just getting started Braxton." Jake snarled as he took out a knife and put it against Charlie's neck.

"You get to watch her die." He chuckled. My eyes went wide.

"No! You can't, she doesn't deserve any of this!" I shrieked. Charlie looked at me. She mouthed 'I love you', and then she closed her eyes. It was like she was getting ready to deal with the pain. He started to press the knife into her skin. I watched in horror as she screamed in pain.

"Charlie!" I, Ruby and Casey shouted simultaneously. He drove the knife further into her neck, and the blood seeped out. I thought it was the end until I saw Charlie lift her mangled leg, and slam it into Jake's foot. He yelped in pain and dropped her to the floor. She landed in a heap on the floor.

**Charlie's POV**

The pain was unbearable as I slammed my broken leg into Jake's foot. I landed on the floor and I crawled to the nearest chair, which was Ruby's. I untied her first. I saw Jake and David coming for me in the corner of my eye.

"Ruby, Be strong. You know what to do." I whispered, as I was dragged away.

**Ruby's POV**

I knew exactly what to do. I had to be quick. They both had their backs turned, trying to get Charlie to stand up. I knew they would kill her soon. I crept out of my chair and crawled over to Brax, who was closer than Casey. I untied him and he nodded thanks. I smiled at him, and then I crawled over to Casey. I kissed him quickly and then I untied him. I saw Brax creeping up on Jake, and Casey going after David. Brax grabbed Jake and punched him in the face, while Casey did the same for David. A brawl broke out. Punches were thrown and blood was shed. Eventually, Jake and David were knocked out again. Brax and Casey shoved them both into the room Charlie had been in and they locked the door. Brax rushed over to Charlie, who was lying on the floor, completely motionless.

**Brax's POV**

"Charlie! Please wake up!" I pleaded as I gently shook her. I couldn't lose her now, I just couldn't.

"Case! Try and find a towel or something! She's losing too much blood!" I called to him. Ruby nudged me.

"Take my scarf to add pressure on her neck". She insisted as she slipped it off her neck. I took it off her and I held it against Charlie's neck wound. Ruby checked her pulse.

"She still has a pulse, but it's really faint." Ruby blurted. I sighed with relief. She was still alive. I kept shaking her slightly, and after about ten minutes, her eyes opened. She sat up quickly, as if she was trying to get away from us.

"Charlie, it's okay baby. They're locked in another room. You're safe." I comforted her as I stroked her hair. I held her in my arms. She looked at me with sad eyes.

"I'm not going to make it, am I?" She assumed. I shook my head and held her face close to mine.

"Charlie, you will make it. Be positive, I'll make sure that we get you to hospital if it's the last thing I do. I love you so much." I assured her as a tear slid down her cheek. I used my thumb to wipe it away and I held her close.

**Casey's POV**

I was still looking for a towel at this point. I assumed that Charlie had woken up, because Brax was talking to someone, and Ruby was in a state, so she couldn't pick up a conversation. As I was looking for the towel, I came across a stash of drugs that Jake had been hiding. _This would send them to prison for even longer_ I thought to myself. I found the towel and rushed out to Brax and I handed him the towel.

"Brax, there's a stash full of drugs in there! You could get Jake sent down for a long time if we reported them!" I revealed. Brax shook his head.

"It would take too long Case. I'm not risking it." Brax denied. I nodded in agreement. We sat there talking to Charlie, trying to keep her awake. But then a voice stopped our conversation.

"You didn't think we had a spare key?" Jake sneered.

**Brax's POV**

I clutched Charlie close to my chest. I had her now. I was not letting her go again.

"Jake, just give up. We have Charlie now; you can't do anything to her or us." I stated to them. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"You're right. We can't do anything else, can we?" He asked as they headed towards the front door. They stood at the door for a minute. Then I realised what was going to happen. Jake had his lighter in his hand.

"Goodbye." Jake whispered as he threw the lighter into our room and closed the door. I heard the car start as they drove off. The house was on fire, and there was no escape.

**What do you think? Who do you think should die in the fire? _Should_ anyone die in the fire? Let me know when you review please! xx**


	7. A Heart Of Fire

**Hello again sorry I haven't updated in a while but I've been really busy! Hope this chapter makes up for it! Oh, by the way, if you have any suggestions for the story, I want to hear them! Please review! And have a happy new year! And sorry It's short but I wanted to leave it on a cliff hanger :)**

**Lucy xx**

**Ruby's POV**

The smoke was getting so thick; you could barely see a metre in front of you. We were all severely coughing; we had to get out of there! I faintly saw Brax looking at me.

"We need to find a window or something!" He wheezed.

"Everyone stay close to the floor!" I shouted as I started crawling across the floorboards. I hoped Charlie was okay, but I needed to find a way out.

**Brax's POV**

I was trying to find Charlie in the smoke. Casey crawled over to me.

"Come on Brax! We need to find a way out of here!" I looked at him.

"I'm not leaving Charlie!" I yelled back to him. "Go and find Ruby." I urged him. He nodded as he crawled away. I needed to find Charlie.

"Charlie! I need you to make some kind of noise so I can find you! Okay?" I called. I waited in silence. And then, I heard someone tapping the floorboards. The sound was coming from my right side. I followed the noise, and eventually, I came across Charlie. She looked at me and started to cough severely. I grabbed her hand.

"We need to stay low! Just keep hold of my hand." I shouted over the roaring of the flames. I saw her head nod. I started moving slowly across the floorboards, both of us coughing.

"Rubes, Case? Where are you?" I shouted.

"Through here!" They replied. We crawled over to them. Casey shook his head.

"There's no window in here!" Casey seethed. Ruby gave him a hug.

"We just have to keep looking. They must have at least one window in here!" I exclaimed. I noticed that I couldn't feel Charlie's hand anymore. I turned around, she had passed out on the floor.

"No… Charlie!" I sobbed. I checked her over. I looked at Ruby and Casey in horror.

"She's not breathing!" I cried. I sat there for about five minutes trying to revive her. Casey patted me on the shoulder.

"Come on Brax. She's gone." Casey told me. I shook my head.

"No! She'll come back, she will!" I convinced myself. I kept trying. I was going to give up when she started coughing violently and her chest started rising again. I hugged her.

"Don't ever do that to me again. I though I'd lost you." I murmured to her.

"I'm not gone yet." She tearfully replied. I smiled at her. She was always strong, no matter what situation she was in.

"We need to find a way out of here, the smoke's only making Charlie worse." I said.

"Okay, let's go back into the main room and make our way around the edge of the room until we come across a door." Ruby suggested.

"Yeah, alright." I replied. We all made our way into the main room. It was Casey leading, Ruby behind him, Charlie was behind her, and I was at the back. We were crawling for about five minutes until we found the first door. Casey scurried inside to look for an escape. He returned two minutes later.

"Nothing in there." He reported. So we carried on. Eventually we had gone through all of the rooms, and not one of them had a window.

"Great. Now what are we going to do?" Casey groaned.

"The only way out is through the front door, which has probably been cut off from the fire." I assumed.

"Why don't we see if there is a fire extinguisher or something in the spare room?" Ruby suggested. I nodded at her.

"Alright. We haven't got any other ideas." I reminded everyone. I took Charlie's hand as we made our way across the room. I could tell the fire was spreading because the smell was getting worse. The smoke was enough to choke you. After about five minutes, we made it to the spare room. I started to look around when Ruby grabbed me.

"Stay with Charlie. She needs you." She coughed. So I turned around and I held Charlie in my arms.

"We're going to get out of here Charlie." I promised her. She gently kissed me.

"If you say so." She wheezed. I just sat with her until Ruby and Casey crawled over to us.

"There's no fire extinguisher!" Casey panted. I looked at the pile of items.

"What else was in there Case?" I asked.

"Err… the drugs, spare car parts, loads of coats and blankets-"Casey started.

"Stop there." I interrupted. "Here's what we're going to do. We're going to put loads of blankets over us, and we're going to run through the fire that's cutting us off from the front door." I explained. They all stared at me.

"Are you mad?" Ruby shrieked.

"We could catch fire and die!" Casey exclaimed.

"It's the only chance we have! We'll die if we stay in here!" I pointed out.

"I think we should do it. We don't have anything to lose." Charlie spoke softly. I smiled at her; I was glad that she was on my side.

"Fine!" Ruby gave in.

**Charlie's POV**

We started to gather all of the blankets we could find.

"Make sure no bare skin is exposed to the fire!" Brax shouted. We all pulled the blankets over our heads. Brax came over to me.

"We're almost out baby. Stay strong." Brax told me. I smiled weakly.

"I'm going to carry you out of here. Okay?" He asked me. I nodded. A sharp pain seeped through my leg as he picked me up. He stroked my face.

"You okay?" He asked with concern. I was wincing in pain but I managed a small nod. He started carrying me towards the door when I stopped him.

"Where's Ruby?" I panicked.

"Ruby!" Casey screamed. I started to wriggle out of Brax's grip. He held on.

"Brax, let go of me! I need to find Ruby!" I yelled.

"Charlie, I'm not losing you again." He cried to her. She touched my cheek.

"I'm sorry." I whispered as he lost my grip and I fell to the floor, and quickly crawled out of sight, into the smoke.

**Brax's POV**

I started to go after her.

"We need to find them Casey!" I urged him. He nodded as we tried to find them. Suddenly I heard Charlie shout.

"I found her! She's okay" She was just looking for something to put out the fire!" Charlie choked. I could tell she was tired.

"Come back now Charlie, please." I begged her. I sat waiting for her to come out of the room. But before she came out, a deafening bang tore through the house, as the building exploded and started to collapse. The house was going to land on top of us, and Charlie was going to be on the other side.

"Charlie!" I shouted, as the building came down.


	8. A Race Against Time

**Hello! Back with another update! Thank you SO much for the reviews! It's amazing to know that people actually like my writing ;) But anyway, on with the story! (Oh, by the way, I might not be able to update as often as I have been because I go back to school on Thursday so I'll be really busy with coursework and I have an exam on 23rd January! I know I'm only in year ten but we're getting some exams done early. Sooo… yeah)**

**Lucy xx**

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><p><strong>Brax's POV<strong>

I pushed myself into Casey as we landed in the corner of the room as the building collapsed. I looked over to him.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, you?" He replied. I nodded quickly as I observed our surroundings. The fire was still roaring, and we had been cut off from the other half of the house. That's when it hit me.

"Ruby and Charlie are on the other side of that rubble!" I realised. We quickly scrambled to the rubble.

"Ruby? Charlie? Can you hear us?" Casey yelled across the rubble. There was no reply. I started climbing onto the rubble as Casey grabbed my shoulders. I shrugged him off.

"We have to get over there! They could be really hurt!" I pointed out to him. He didn't reply, he just scrambled after me as we climbed over the pile of bricks and wood. We got to the top and looked for Charlie and Ruby, but we couldn't see them. I shook my head.

"They must be hidden under the rubble!" I realised. We quickly climbed to the bottom and started searching through the rubble. Casey patted me on the shoulder.

"You go that way, I'll go this way. It's quicker then." He said.

"Alright. Be careful though." I demanded. He nodded.

"And you." He replied as he scurried away.

**Ruby's POV**

I lay as still as I possibly could. I didn't want anything else to collapse on me. I could feel a large amount of pressure on my arm. _Probably a heavy piece of wood_ I thought to myself. I tried to scream but no sound came out. I was starting to panic. What if no one ever found me? What about Charlie? Was she okay? I had so many thoughts running through my head at that moment that I didn't hear someone shuffling towards me.

"Ruby? Charlie?" Casey called. My heart sped up and I sighed with relief.

"Case! I'm here!" I called back. He lifted a piece of wood that was covering my face.

"Don't worry Rubes, we'll get you out of here." He promised. I nodded as he brushed his hand across my face. I started to panic again.

"Have you found Charlie yet?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No. We haven't Rubes. But we'll keep looking for her after we get you out." He answered. I shook my head.

"No you won't. You have to find Charlie first! I'm okay now that you know where I am." I said to him. He nodded his head and he called Brax over.

"Brax! I've found Ruby! Charlie must be somewhere around here!" He shouted. Brax stumbled over to us. He looked at me.

"You alright Rubes?" He asked with concern.

"Yeah, I think so. There's loads of pressure on my right arm though." I replied. But I insisted that they looked for Charlie first.

"Okay, but call us if anything changes." Brax added, as Casey kissed my forehead and carried on searching through the rubble.

**Casey's POV**

I wanted to stay with Ruby, but I knew that she would never forgive me if we didn't find Charlie first. So I followed Brax as we searched through the bricks and wood.

"Brax, just remember, Charlie wasn't doing so well before the roof collapsed. This could have finished her off." I said gently. I knew it would kill him if he lost Charlie, and to know that she's suffered makes it worse.

"I know Case. But she's a fighter. She might be shattered, but she could still be repaired." He insisted. I was glad that he was being optimistic. It was the only thing that was allowing him to keep searching. He had to have faith.

**Brax's POV**

I wasn't about to give up without a fight. I knew that Charlie was alive. I could feel it. If she died, I don't know what I would do without her. I hate Jake for what he's made her suffer. I kept searching.

"Charlie? Can you hear me?" I called. I heard no reply. I was getting closer to the flames too. _She must be somewhere around here,_ I thought to myself. I was really hoping that the flames hadn't already got to her. I started frantically searching through the rubble. And then I saw it. I saw a shade of purple through a gap in the pile of wood, it was the shade of the top that Charlie was wearing. I rushed over to it and lifted a piece of wood off the top of the pile.

"Charlie!" I cried as I tried to wake her up. And suddenly, she started choking.

"Hey, Hey. It's okay baby." I soothed as I rubbed her back. She stopped choking. _She must have swallowed too much smoke, _I thought to myself. Then I realised that the flames were closing in.

"We're going to get you out Charlie." I promised her as I tried to lift a heavy beam that had fallen from the roof. I couldn't lift it on my own.

"Case! I need help. Now!" I yelled. He rushed over. He looked at the growing flames.

"Oh God." Casey said as he leaped over to the beam. We both stood on either end of the beam and tried to pull it off. It didn't work. We kept trying for about five minutes until Charlie spoke up.

"Get Ruby out of here!" She croaked. Then an idea hit me.

"If we get Ruby out, she could help us get Charlie out!" I suggested.

"What if Ruby's hurt Brax?" Casey argued.

"Well, we'd better go and check then!" I said sarcastically. I kissed Charlie's cheek and we rushed back over to Ruby.

"Rubes, are you hurt?" Casey asked.

"My arm was stuck, but I managed to wriggle it out of the piece of wood. So it's okay now." Ruby confirmed.

"So you could help us lift a beam?" I asked. She nodded.

"If you can get me out of here." Ruby stated. I and Casey quickly lifted the many pieces of wood out of Ruby's way and she stood up.

"Great! Let's go!" she urged as she rushed off in Charlie's direction. Ruby amazed me sometimes. She just had a building fall on top of her, and she just brushed it off. I quickly followed.

**Charlie's POV**

I could feel the heat of the flames as they got closer. But I didn't care when I saw Brax returning with Ruby.

"Right. Case, Ruby, try and lift the beam just enough for me to slide Charlie out. And if you can't, I'll swap places with one of you. Okay?" I checked. They both nodded as they started to lift the beam.

"Charlie, it might hurt as I slide you out because of your leg. Okay?" I asked softly. She slowly nodded. Ruby and Casey kept pulling until the gap was large enough.

"Now Brax!" Ruby demanded. I quickly pulled Charlie out as they dropped the beam again.

"Get the blankets over you again!" I told everyone. I picked Charlie up as we all ran through the flames, and out of the house. We all smiled.

"Thank God we're out of that death trap!" Ruby breathed. I put Charlie in the back seat of the car.

"Case, you drive. Ruby, you sit in the passenger's seat. I'll look after Charlie. We have to get her to the hospital, now!" I encouraged them as we leaped into the car, and we drove away.

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><p><strong>Yay! They're finally out! But will they get Charlie to the hospital in time? Review please! :)<strong>


	9. A Friend In Need

**Hello lovely people! I am so sorry I haven't updated in ages! I started school again and I've been doing homework and revision :'(But I need ideas for this story, I'm starting to wonder where to go from here :/ Review please!**

**Lucy xx**

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><p><strong>Brax's POV<strong>

Unfortunately, Summer Bay was the nearest place with a hospital. But we were about an hour away! That's how long it took us to get to the building in the first place anyway. So we started to drive home. I had Charlie lay across the back seats, with her head resting on my legs. I felt bad for her because she was probably uncomfortable and in a lot of pain, but we didn't have time to wait for an ambulance to arrive. I kept stroking her hair.

"We'll get you to hospital soon Charlie. I promise." I whispered to her as Casey spoke up.

"I can't believe how lucky we were back there!" Casey murmured.

"I know! I can't believe that two people could cause so much damage!" Ruby said, shocked. Then she added in a whisper,

"How is she Brax?" I nodded at her.

"I don't think she's too bad." I answered. We drove in silence for a while, until Casey put the radio on. A story came on that got our attention.

'_Someone has reported a fire and an explosion in a house which is about an hour's drive away from Summer Bay. There is no one at the scene and no one inside either. Emergency services believe it was arson. If anyone has any information on the arson and the arsonists, they are encouraged to report their information. Thank you for your co-operation and thank you for listening.'_ I looked at Ruby.

"We'll report them after we get Charlie to hospital." I told her. She nodded and turned to face the window instead. Charlie started coughing again.

"Case, did you see any water when you were looking for the first aid kit earlier?" I asked him. He thought for a moment.

"There may have been a bottle. I'll get it." He replied as he pulled over. Charlie lifted her head slightly.

"It's alright baby, Case is just getting you some water." I told her as she rested her head on my lap again. Casey gave me the bottle and I held it to Charlie's mouth as she sipped from the bottle. I gave the bottle for Ruby to hold in case Charlie needed it again. We drove, listening to the soft thump of the music as we did. We had been driving for about twenty five minutes when we heard police sirens behind us. Casey checked his mirror.

"Damn it!" Casey stressed, hitting the steering wheel at the same time.

"You have got to be joking." I moaned. Casey quickly pulled over.

"We don't have time for this!" Ruby whispered as a police officer walked to Casey's window.

"Look, I'm sorry to be rude but we really have to get going." Ruby explained. He gave Ruby a sarcastic smile.

"I'm sure you have a million places to get to in a hurry when you get stopped by a police officer." He said sarcastically. Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Watch your attitude miss." He warned.

"Why have we been stopped?" Casey asked.

"You were driving over the speed limit." He informed. Casey looked really frustrated.

"I'm sorry, but I have a good reason!" He objected. The officer smirked.

"I'm sure you do." He smiled. _I can't believe he hasn't noticed Charlie yet, and he also hasn't noticed that our clothes are covered in soot,_ I thought to myself. He must have been a stupid police officer. I heard Casey sigh as he turned and gestured to Charlie.

"We're trying to get my brother's girlfriend to hospital quickly; she's got really serious injuries." Casey admitted.

"Why didn't you call… wait, is that Charlie?" He asked with concern. He must have known her from when she worked at the station.

"Yes, that's her. We were caught in that fire about twenty five minutes away." Ruby informed.

"Why didn't you wait for an ambulance?" The officer asked.

"There's no way she could wait that long!" I exclaimed. He thought for a moment.

"Since Charlie is a dear friend, I'll let you go. But don't do it again or there will be trouble." He warned. I smiled gratefully at him as we carried on driving.

**Charlie's POV**

I wasn't feeling my best at this point. My vision was blurred and my hearing was muffled. I think I was starting to lose consciousness. I think it was Matt who pulled us over, but I couldn't see his facial features clear enough to tell. Brax held my hand and stroked my hair for the whole journey. I could sense how tense and worried he was. I hated being the reason for that. So I gathered all my strength and squeezed Brax's hand. I looked into his eyes and smiled, he smiled back and I felt him relax a little bit.

"We're about twenty minutes away from the hospital Charlie." Brax whispered. I smiled and nodded at him. I was wondering whether I would make it to the hospital. I could feel myself slipping out of consciousness. I could feel myself slipping away from life.

**Ruby's POV**

I was lost in my own thoughts for the whole way back. That policeman made me realise how many people Charlie has helped in her life. She's made friends with so many people; she's guided so many people. She's been there for me, even after everything we've been through. She's definitely turned Brax's life around. She didn't deserve anything she was given. _She doesn't deserve to die,_ I thought to myself. Everything in that car was a reminder of what happened in that house. The smell of smoke on our clothes, the news story that kept popping up every five minutes, the lump in my throat from all the smoke we inhaled. Although the nightmare was over, it was never over.

**Casey's POV**

I felt so bad for Brax. Charlie was the best thing that's ever happened to him, and he was watching her crumble.

"How's Charlie doing Brax?" I asked.

"Not great Case. How long left?" He replied.

"Probably about ten minutes away. Do you think she can do it?" I questioned.

"She's going to get there even if it kills me Case." Brax said. And strangely enough, I believed him.

**Brax's POV**

I was talking to Casey when I realised that Charlie had become very still. She was unconscious again.

"She's unconscious again!" I stressed. I heard Ruby telling Casey to speed up. I checked her breathing.

"She's not breathing!" I cried as I tried to shock her back to life. Casey swerved into the hospital car park and pulled up at the entrance.

"You two go. I'll try and find a parking space. Go!" Casey urged as I carried Charlie into the hospital with Ruby following behind.

"Someone help!" I shouted as I held a lifeless Charlie in my arms. Sid came over and his team put Charlie on a stretcher and wheeled her into a room. Sid walked out five minutes later.

"Is she going to be okay Sid?" I asked.

"She's in critical condition, but we'll do everything we can Brax." Sid said as he rushed back into Charlie's room.


	10. I Won't Let You Go

**I am the worst person ever! Sorry it's been such a long time since I updated but I had my mock English exam and I have a science exam soon :'( Homework hasn't helped either, but anyway, suggestions for this story please? I don't think it will be any more than 15 chapters but we'll wait and see! Thank you so much for the reviews and keep it up!**

**Lucy xx**

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><p><strong>Brax's POV<strong>

Seeing Charlie so lifeless on that stretcher and being wheeled into surgery made my heart crumble. Ruby was crying into Casey's shirt, he rubbed her back as she sobbed uncontrollably. I was going to comfort her, but I couldn't. I didn't have the strength; I just sank into a chair and held my head in my hands. I was tired of staying strong. I felt a small tear slid down my face as Bianca rushed in. She hugged us all in turn.

"Thank God you're all okay! I was worried sick!" Bianca stressed.

"Thanks for coming Bianca." Casey thanked her. She smiled half- heartedly.

"Charlie's my best friend. Of course I'd come!" She insisted. I didn't speak, but I think she understood why.

"How's she doing?" Bianca asked. I shook my head.

"She's in surgery at the moment, the doctors said that her injuries are very severe and life- threatening. That's all we know." I managed to say. She gave me a sympathetic look.

"Brax-" Bianca started as she put her hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off.

"I don't want the sympathy Bianca." I told her. She still looked at me.

"I know how much she means to you Brax, we all do." Bianca told me as she took a seat next to Ruby. I just sat there and stared at the room that Charlie was in. I knew there and then that she was my life. If she died, I would too.

**Ruby's POV**

I don't know how long I cried for, but I knew I didn't stop for a long time. My mum was fighting for her life in a hospital bed! How was I supposed to deal with that? I felt so sorry for Casey, who knows how long he held me for! At least I had Casey. Brax only needed one person, and she was lying in surgery.

"I'm going to get something to drink. Anyone want anything?" Bianca offered. We all shook our heads. I couldn't eat or drink anything. I realised something.

"Case, I haven't taken my insulin." I whispered. He got up and spoke to a nurse; they walked over about a minute later.

"Hello Ruby, would you like to come this way? It won't take a minute." The nurse assured. I smile weakly at her as she led me to a spare room and got the injection ready.

**Casey's POV**

I've never been a big fan of hospitals. They were so depressing. Today was no exception. I looked around the corridor, I couldn't see anyone with a smile on their face. _No one's receiving good news then,_ I thought to myself. Ruby came back out and sat next to me.

"Feeling better?" I asked. She nodded glumly.

"I suppose so." She replied as she sat down next to me. I held her hand for a while before she spoke again.

"She's been so strong Case, what if she can't fight anymore?" Ruby questioned.

"Rubes, have you met your mum? I don't think she's ever stopped fighting." I assured her. She nodded at me and looked behind me where Brax was sitting. He hadn't taken his eyes off Charlie's room ever since they took her in there. Bianca was trying to convince him to eat something, but he refused. I can't imagine how he must have felt, having the love of his life in a life-threatening situation. I don't know how I would have coped if it was Ruby in Charlie's position. I wanted to talk to him, but I knew that whatever I said wouldn't make things any easier for him. Nothing will make this easier for him unless she wakes up.

**Bianca's POV**

We were all struggling, but I think Brax was the worst. Ruby was crying for a long time, but Brax, Brax just sat there. I didn't see him cry at all. That was the scary part. It was like he was trying to hold it in. I don't know why, nobody else was. I think everyone stopped by at one time or another. Leah and VJ, Miles, Elijah, Marilyn, Irene, April, Dex and Indie, Alf, Liam, Xavier and Roo. Charlie was obviously very popular. She had made a difference in Summer Bay, whether someone liked it or not. It was like a cycle. Someone would come in to see how Charlie was doing, I would thank them for coming while Ruby hugged them. Then they would stay for about ten minutes and then leave. Brax never said anything to anyone.

"Brax, why don't you go outside and get some air?" I suggested. He shook his head.

"I don't want to go anywhere Bianca." Brax told me. I nodded at him. I hoped Charlie would be okay, for his sake as well as hers.

**Brax's POV**

I didn't move for hours. I didn't speak, I didn't eat. All I did was think. I thought about when I first met Charlie, I thought about the ups and downs of our relationships. I hope she got out of here alive so we could have more good and bad times. We had so much more to look forward to. A new life together with Ruby and Casey. Suddenly, Sid walked out of Charlie's room.

"Sid! Is she okay?" I panicked. He looked at me.

"She's out of surgery, but there were some complications." Sid informed.

"What kind of complications?" I asked. I was starting to get really scared.

"I'm afraid that Charlie's leg has been severely damaged Brax. She might never be able to walk again." He explained. My eyes glazed over.

"And also, she has lost a lot of blood, so a lot of strain has been put on her heart. She can't breathe on her own at the moment." Sid told me. I nodded.

"Can I see her?" I asked. He nodded.

"You can. I'm going to go and tell Ruby and Casey what's happened." Sid said as he walked away. I rushed to Charlie's room. She was so lifeless in her bed. She was hooked up to so many different machines. It was horrible to know that the only thing keeping her alive was a machine. I sat down on a seat and took her hand.

"Charlie, I need you to wake up. Please. We all need you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I just can't lose you now. Neither can Ruby. You're her mum, she needs you. You came into my life Charlie and I'm so glad that you did. I knew something was missing from my life. But when I came to Summer Bay, I found you. You've made everything worthwhile Charlie. Don't give up." I urged her as I kissed her hand.

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><p><strong>Review please!<strong>** xxxx**


	11. Staying Strong

**I feel so awful! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in ages but I had my mock english exam and I have a GCSE science exam on Tuesday! But I did get a B in the English exam :D What does everyone think of the Home and Away promos? I'm trying to keep the faith. LONG LIVE CHAX!**

**Lucy xx**

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><p><strong>Charlie's POV<strong>

I could feel Brax holding my hand and speaking to me. I could only catch some of what he was saying. I wanted to open my eyes and tell him that I was okay. I wanted to hug Ruby and tell her that I would always be there for her, but I couldn't open my eyes. I felt Brax kiss my forehead.

"Just squeeze my hand Charlie." He whispered. I gathered all of my strength and squeezed his hand lightly. He jumped back in surprise, he clearly didn't expect me to respond. He hugged me lightly I heard a women speak about two minutes later.

"Charlie, if you can hear me, you're in hospital and you were caught in a fire. You have a tube down your throat to help you breathe and you may be in a considerable amount of pain when you wake up. Brax is here and Ruby's just popped home to have a shower." She informed as she left the room. Brax held my face gently.

"Please try and open your eyes Charlie." He begged. I tried, but I just couldn't do it. He kissed my cheek and held my hand.

**Brax's POV**

She had squeezed my hand. She must have heard what I was saying. I stayed with her for about five minutes but then I went to see of Ruby had come back. It turns out that she had been sat with Casey for about ten minutes. She jumped up when I came out.

"Is she okay? Did she really squeeze your hand?" Ruby asked. I nodded, I was still too shocked to speak. I just hugged her. This was the best news we had received ever since Charlie came here. We had hope now.

**Ruby's POV**

I knew she would come around! I hugged Casey and sighed with relief. She was actually going to get better. We could start again. But I realised that we had forgotten something.

"Brax, what happened to Jake and David?" I asked as panick started to rise within me. Brax froze for a moment.

"I never reported them to the police." Brax admitted, looking worried. I rose out of my seat.

"You never reported them? Why?" I shouted.

"Because in case you haven't noticed Rubes, no one's head has been in the best place recently. I was a bit more focused on Charlie." He responded. I sat back down with a sigh.

"Sorry. I know what you mean. But should we report them now?" I wondered aloud.

Casey nodded.

"I think we should, the police can at least keep an eye out for them." Casey pointed out. Brax agreed and quickly rushed out to use his phone. I hugged Casey tightly.

"You don't think they'll come back, do you?" Ruby asked, as her eyes started to water.

"I hope they don't Rubes." I murmured as I kissed her forehead.

**Brax's POV**

"I'd like to report some people involved in the arson attack that happened a few days ago." I stated to the officer on the phone.

"I'm afraid you will need to come down to the police station to make a statement." He informed.

"I know. But if I gave you the names, could you just keep an eye out for them? I'm dealing with a family crisis." I told him.

"We can try. What are the names?" He asked.

"Jake Pirovic and David Andford." I stressed. I heard no reply.

"Hello?" I called.

"Sorry, We were concerned about those two. They just got out on bail, we'll keep an eye out Mr…" The officer started.

"Braxton." I finished for him. We said our goodbyes and we hung up. I hoped that they were caught, for Charlie's sake. I waled back into the hospital and sat beside Ruby and Casey.

"What did they say Brax?" Casey asked quietly.

"They said that I had to go down to the station to make a statement, but I said that I couldn't so I just gave them their names instead." I said as I recalled my conversation with the officer.

"It turns out that they had only just got out on bail and now they should be going back in for this." I continued. I was glad that they would be going back to prison. They deserved everything they got. Ruby smiled.

"Thanks Brax. I feel better now." Ruby admitted. I smiled at her because I couldn't agree more.

**Charlie's POV**

I was tired of seeing nothing. I wanted to see the world again. I could hear the constant beep of the machine that was no doubt helping me to stay alive. I could hear Ruby and Brax murmuring by my side. I wanted to see their faces again. In one massive movement, I opened my eyes.

**Brax's POV**

I was sat in Charlie's room speaking to Ruby when I felt Charlie's hand move. I took her hand quickly and I looked into her eyes.

"Charlie, come on, I know you can do this." I urged her. I saw her eyes start to flicker and I glanced at Ruby, she was smiling. And finally, Charlie opened her eyes. I finally got see her eyes again. She still looked so fragile and weak, but I knew how strong she really was. I kissed her forehead.

"Thank God!" I exclaimed. I noticed that Ruby had rushed out to get the doctor. I saw that Charlie tried to speak, but the tube prevented her from doing so. She was wincing in pain as she held her stomach. Why was she clutching her stomach? Sid came rushing in and stopped when he noticed her in pain.

"Brax, Ruby, I need you to wait outside for a minute." Sid said as he ushered us outside.

"Is she okay?" Ruby asked as she started to cry.

"I can't say at the minute, but I'll let you know as soon as I can." Sid assured as he closed the door.

**Still Brax's POV!**

We sat outside for twenty minutes. I don't get how my world was turned upside down in the space of about two minutes! When Sid came outside, I rushed to him, with Ruby close behind.

"What's going on Sid?" I asked, starting to lose my patience.

"Brax, I need you to come inside. Alone." Sid said as he gestured inside. I looked at Ruby and she smiled at me as she pushed me inside. I walked inside and saw Charlie lay in her bed, and her eyes were open. I smiled at her as I sat beside her on her bed. She looked at me with a worried expression.

"What's going on Brax?" Charlie asked me, her voice hoarse.

"I don't know, Sid just said that I had to come in here alone. But you don't know how glad I am to hear your voice." I answered as I held her hand. She smiled at me and quickly kissed me.

What's this about Sid?" I asked him. He looked concerned.

"Charlie, did you know you were pregnant?" Sid asked as he faced Charlie. I looked at Charlie in shock, but her expression matched mine.

"I'm pregnant? Wait, why are you saying it like that?" Charlie asked noticing the sad tone in Sid's voice.

"It makes sense that you didn't know because you are only few weeks along. And I'm sorry for another shock, but you were having twins." Sid informed. I was so happy, until I realised what he said.

"Were having twins? What do you mean by 'were'?" I asked starting to feel sick.

"I'm so sorry, but during your trauma Charlie, your body was unable to cope. You miscarried one of the babies. The other one only just made it, but it is stable now." Sid commented. I sat there shocked. We lost one of our babies? I looked at Charlie and noticed a tear slide down her face. She soon starting bawling. I held her as I cried too.

"I'll leave you alone for a while." Sid whispered as he crept out of the room.

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><p><strong>What do you think of the miscarriage? I didn't actually plan on having that idea in here but I just thought of it as I was writing :) Please review! xx<strong>


	12. Keep Holding On

**Hey lovely people! Sorry about the updates again! I've been so busy! I can't believe Charlie died on H&A! I've had a writer's block with this story because I think it's kind of pointless to carry on with this, but I only have a couple of chapters left to do anyway. I didn't want to let you guys down either! I really owe you guys, I didn't think my writing was even good, until you guys reviewed. Thank you to every single one of you who has supported me through my story and I hope you enjoy this chapter! (And for people in Britain, hope you're all enjoying the snow!)**

**Lucy xx**

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><p><strong>Ruby's POV<strong>

The news was still raw about the twins. I was devastated. Why did it have to happen? Hadn't we suffered enough? I felt so bad for Charlie, I can't imagine how much pain she was feeling. She had nearly died, and now she had the loss of one of her babies to deal with too. But I was grieving too. I had lost my brother or sister before I got the chance to meet them, before I even knew they existed. I knew we should be grateful that even one of them survived because of Charlie's condition, but it was worse in a way; they would never get the chance to meet their twin brother or sister. It was a heartbreaking thought. Brax was still in Charlie's room, I hadn't talked to either of them yet, I knew it was better to give them some time alone.

**Charlie's POV**

I cried with Brax for a long time. I had so many feeling building inside of me. I felt pain, devastation, grief and anger. I also felt responsible for their death. I should have been stronger for both of them, so they both could have had a chance of living. After a lot of crying, I heard Brax speak.

"I hate Jake for what he's done, to you and our baby. But at least we have one of them left. We need to focus on you getting better Charlie, Jake's going to go to prison again after what he's done. We need to look after this one." He insisted as he rubbed my stomach. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes.

"I know Brax, but I feel so guilty. I should have been stronger, I shouldn't have stood outside on my own in the dark, I shouldn't have given up." I whispered. Our noses were touching now.

"Don't say that Charlie, none of this was your fault. Jake and David are going to get what they deserve. I'd go after them but I'd rather be here for you and our baby." He soothed as he stroked my cheek. I knew he was right about what he was saying, but I still felt guilty. I decided that I needed to be there for my other baby now, more than ever.

**Brax's POV**

I hated that Charlie was blaming herself for our baby's death. I needed her to be okay, I needed our baby to be okay. It was terrible enough losing one of them, I couldn't lose them both. I was sat on Charlie's bed, hugging her when Sid walked in.

"How are you both?" He asked with concern. We looked at him and nodded with a slight smile.

"We'll get there Sid, I know we will." Charlie answered as she looked at me with a small smile. I smiled and kissed her forehead.

"You two can get through anything!" Sid acknowledged. We smiled at each other.

"We try our best Sid." I admitted. He nodded as he checked the charts.

"Charlie, You're going to have to stay here for about a week, depending on your progress." Sid informed. Charlie sighed.

"Great. Everyone wants to stay in a boring hospital bed for a week." Charlie said sarcastically.

"Sorry about that." Sid chuckled. He told us that Charlie's injuries are healing as they should be and that they baby was okay, which was a relief.

"I'll come back later to see how you are." Sid said as he walked out of the room. Ruby came in about a minute later.

"Hey. How are you guys?" Ruby asked as she sat on the other side of Charlie's bed. Charlie nodded.

"We're getting there Ruby. How are you coping?" Charlie asked quietly. Ruby shrugged.

"I'm doing okay I suppose." Ruby murmured. Charlie held her hand.

"It could be worse. We could have lost both of them." Charlie pointed out. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, I can still look forward to meeting my little brother or sister!" Ruby squealed excitedly. I chuckled as Ruby started asking about baby names. I think she was more excited about the birth than I or Charlie was!

"I'm going to go and talk to Casey for a bit." Ruby announced and she walked out of the room. I hugged Charlie for ages, but then she spoke.

"Why don't you go home and have a shower? I'm okay here on my own for a bit." Charlie insisted. I held her hand.

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying." I reminded her. She kissed my quickly.

"I know you don't mind, but you need to freshen up, and take Ruby and Casey with you! They need some real food, not the food from the cafeteria." Charlie joked. I kissed her hand and went to take Ruby and Casey home.

**Casey's POV**

I felt bad for leaving Charlie on her own, but I think we all needed a break from the hospital. On the bright side, Brax and Ruby seemed happier.

"I can't believe that Charlie has gotten through all of this!" Ruby exclaimed.

"I knew she would, she's a fighter Ruby." I proclaimed. Brax sighed.

"I honestly don't know how I got so lucky." Brax wondered.

"I bet she thinks the same Brax. Come on, let's get back to the hospital." Ruby grinned as she gestured towards the door. I laughed at her impatience as we drove back to the hospital.

**Ruby's POV**

I forced Brax to pull up outside a newsagent so I could get some magazines for Charlie, I can't imagine how boring it must be to sit in a hospital bed for a week. After picking about six magazines for her, we finally got back to the hospital. I was walking to Charlie's room when a nurse passed me.

"For the patient I suppose?" She asked sarcastically. I smiled.

"Yeah, she loves these magazines." I giggled.

"Tell Charlie that I hopes she's feeling better." She said sincerely.

"Thank you. I'm sure she'll appreciate it." I replied gratefully as I walked across to Charlie's room. I opened the door and stopped in my tracks. Jake was standing next to Charlie with a gun to her head.

"Charlie!" I whispered.

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><p><strong>I wonder if any of you were expecting that? Please Review! It makes my day! xx<strong>


	13. I Will Keep You Safe

**Sorry again for the long wait for the update! I've been so busy! So… How is everyone else finding Home and Away without Chax? I'm finding life pretty boring in Summer Bay right now. Poor Ruby! Poor Brax! I just want to say thank you to everyone who posts Chax fanfics on here, there are some beautiful stories on here, and I love reading them! I hope you all enjoyed the cliff hanger I left you on in the last chapter ;) Enjoy!**

**Lucy xx**

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><p><strong>Ruby's POV<strong>

The magazines that I was holding dropped to the ground. I turned around, ready to get help until Jake stopped me with his words.

"If you squeal, she dies." He stated as he held the gun to her head. Charlie was silent, but she had tears rolling down her cheeks. I stood for a moment, thinking. But suddenly, I felt rage.

"You think you can just ruin other people's innocent lives? Hammer deserved what happened to him, Charlie was defending herself! You say you're doing this for your brother, but you're not. I can tell. You're doing this because you're jealous that other people are happy with their lives while yours is in ruins!" I hissed.

"I don't think you want to make me angry." Jake sniggered, as he tapped the gun he was holding. I was so angry. Jake had control, and he knew it.

**Brax's POV**

I was with Casey talking to the nurse when I realised that we should have been going to see Charlie. We said goodbye to the nurse and made our way towards Charlie's room. I stopped in my tracks when I noticed that the door was shut. Casey thought nothing of it, and only stopped because I did.

"Brax, what's up with you?" Casey asked, bewildered. I shushed him. I wouldn't usually think much of it if Charlie's door was closed, but something wasn't right. There was no noise, which was strange for Charlie and Ruby. I walked to the door and knocked quietly.

"Rubes, Charlie? You okay?" I called. There was no answer. I tried the handle, but it was locked. I was about to kick the door down when a voice on the other end stopped me.

"If you attract any attention to this room, she dies Braxton." Jake called from the other side. I sighed in frustration. There was no stopping him! Then I thought of something.

"Jake, People are going to be suspicious if they see me stood outside a door talking to someone on the other side!" I pointed out. I heard some shuffling in Charlie's room and then the lock clicked. The door opened, revealing Ruby with tears falling down her face. She opened the door wider and we walked inside. Casey was hugging Ruby behind me as I looked ahead. Jake was stood beside Charlie with a gun held to her head. I was so scared for Charlie; did Jake know she was pregnant? If he did, what would he do? There was no way I was going to let him hurt her or my child.

"Jake, just let her go! Someone's bound to come in here to check on Charlie soon!" I stressed. He chuckled.

"Oh yeah… One of you lock the door!" Jake barked. Ruby quickly locked the door. I could tell how scared she was; she just wanted her mother to be okay. I was so sick of being tormented by him, but I couldn't do anything about it!

"What's the point in this Jake? What are you trying to get from me?" I questioned him. He glared at me.

"I want Buckton to pay for what she did to my brother, and I want you feel the pain you deserve." He sneered. I curled my hand into a fist. Charlie didn't deserve this, but Jake was using her go get back at me. Ruby started sobbing as Casey held her.

"Jake, please, just hurt me instead. You and I both know that you're doing this to get back at me, not Charlie." I pleaded to him. Jake laughed.

"Believe me Braxton, you're both going to suffer." Jake snarled.

**Charlie's POV**

I was so scared of what Jake was going to do to us. But suddenly, I couldn't breathe. I felt the room closing in and I could only just about hear what Brax was saying. I saw Brax heading towards me and asking me something, though I couldn't hear what he was asking. I was trying to focus on my breathing, but I couldn't slow it down. What if it had something to do with the baby? Was it okay?

**Brax's POV**

I was trying to figure out a plan when Charlie started having really fast breaths. They kept getting faster, so I headed towards her.

"Charlie? What's wrong? Do you need me to get the doctor?" I asked, concerned, as I carried on walking to her bed. Jake stopped me by clicking the gun.

"If you move any closer, I'll shoot." Jake warned.

"She can't breathe Jake!" I shouted. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"What's going on in there? Why is the door locked?" Someone called from the other side of the door.

"I'll shoot if you come in!" Jake shouted back to them.

"Security!" She yelled. I looked at Charlie who was still having trouble breathing, she looked like she was going to pass out.

"We need help! Charlie can't breathe!" I called to the nurse.

"Okay, Brax, explain her symptoms to me." She coaxed. I glanced at Charlie again.

"Her breaths are quick, she can't seem to hear any of us, is it something to do with the baby?" I asked in a rush.

"She's pregnant?" Jake asked in a fury.

"Yeah, she is. We were having twins, and you killed one of them!" I yelled at him as I pushed him. He pointed the gun at Charlie and I backed away quickly. I wasn't about to let my temper harm Charlie.

"Brax! Okay, it sounds like she's having a bad panic attack. You need to calm her down, talk to her slowly and help her with her breathing." The nurse instructed. I gave Jake a warning look. He backed away.

"Fine, but only because I want to have the satisfaction of killing her." Jake sneered. I lunged at him, only to have Casey pull me back.

"Brax, Charlie needs you." Casey urged. I nodded and rushed over to Charlie's bed. She looked terrified, she was staring straight ahead and she was trying to calm herself down.

"Charlie, it's okay. I'm not going to let Jake hurt you or our baby. I need to you to calm down, breathe in and out." I soothed. I breathed with her as she started to slow down. I rubbed her back and held onto her. I looked over at Casey and nodded. He knew what to do.

**Casey's POV**

I saw Brax nod at me and I knew what he wanted me to do. I glanced at Jake, who was watching Charlie and Brax carefully, and I slowly backed towards the door and quietly unlocked it. The click was to quiet for Jake to hear, but I kept the door shut until Brax was ready. Suddenly, Brax sprung off Charlie's bed and started to wrestle with Jake. I saw Brax reach for the gun and he knocked it out of Jake's hand. Charlie shrieked and Ruby grabbed my hand. I opened the door and security rushed in, they grabbed Jake and they threw him out of the room. We all smiled with relief. I saw Brax grab Charlie in a hug, I also hugged Ruby. We were okay. We were safe.

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><p><strong>Well... What do you think? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Let me know! Just press the button below and review! xxx<strong>


	14. Burning The Past

**Hey guys! Once again, I'm so sorry about the wait for the update! I just haven't had any time to write :'( But I've decided that the 15th Chapter will be the last in this story. I want to end it now when so many people like it, instead of writing loads more chapters and people start to lose interest, so…yeah I want to try and finish this story with 70 reviews. It would mean so much :') By the way, I'm probably going to have a really long AN in the next chapter :) Keep reviewing!**

**Lucy xx**

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><p><strong>Charlie's POV<strong>

It was actually overwhelming when I saw Jake in handcuffs, being led to the police car. We were free! We didn't have to be scared anymore! Although David was still out there, I didn't think we would be hearing from him any time soon. The room was silent for a while. We were still in shock after what just happened. My panic attack had vanished once Jake had been dragged out of my room. Brax was sat on my bed, and Casey and Ruby were standing. I looked at them all and smiled, they all smiled back. Casey and Ruby hugged as Brax kissed me. The nurse walked in soon after.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but we need to see of Charlie and the baby are okay." The nurse explained. Ruby and Casey left the room immediately whilst I sat up and held Brax's hand. What if the baby wasn't okay? The nurse placed the cold gel onto my stomach, and about two minutes later, we could hear the soft heartbeat of the baby echoing through the room.

"The baby seems fine." The nurse assured me and Brax as we sighed with relief. She wiped the gel off and left the room to give her statement to the police.

**Brax's POV**

Charlie started crying as soon as the nurse left. I wiped her tears away.

"Hey, what are these for? We're okay, the baby is okay." I reminded her. She smiled weakly.

"Pregnancy hormones!" She laughed. "It's just madness! Look at how this has turned out! We are so lucky! I should be dead right now!" I shook my head.

"Don't think about that, think about us. Think about our future and how happy we are!" I urged her. "Charlie, I love you so much and I honestly wouldn't have coped if Jake killed you. I want to be here for you and our baby, always."

"I know, and you are going to make the best daddy." She murmured as she kissed me gently. I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her for a while.

**Ruby's POV**

I was exhausted, you wouldn't believe how tiring it is when you are threatened by a psychotic maniac and held hostage in a tiny hospital room! I was sat with Casey in the waiting room, eating a sandwich. I felt like I could finally carry on with my life. I didn't have to worry about dying the next day or anything bad happening. I felt normal again, and it felt good. I noticed that Casey was being awfully quiet.

"You okay? You don't seem thrilled that no one's dead." I joked. He smiled at me.

"I'm fine. Of course I'm happy. The situation could have turned out terribly, I'm just thinking." He justified himself. I shifted in my seat so I was looking directly at him.

"About what?" He seemed pretty concerned if you ask me. He took my hands.

"Well, now that Charlie and Brax are having a baby, they're going to need some more space." Casey started. I nodded at him, encouraging him to continue.

"And I've been thinking, maybe we should get a small place of our own." He finished, waiting for me to answer. It took me a while to answer him, I certainly wasn't expecting him to spring that on me! He squeezed my hand, and then I realised I hadn't given him an answer.

"I think that's a great idea!" I squealed as I kissed him. We just had one problem, how were we going to convince Charlie and Brax?

**Casey's POV**

I and Ruby walked to Charlie's hospital room, hand in hand. I had a good feeling about it, how could they say no? We opened the door to find Charlie and Brax sharing a rather passionate kiss.

"Sorry! We'll come back later!" Ruby cried. Charlie and Brax looked up and broke apart.

"No, it's okay. We're done now." Charlie insisted as Brax started laughing. Ruby and I grabbed a chair each and sat by her bed.

"Good, because we have a proposal for you." Ruby said in a serious tone. Charlie sat up and Brax gave me a questioning look. Ruby nudged me and I started my argument.

"We've been thinking about getting a small apartment." I stated. Brax raised his eyebrows.

"You'll need all the space you can get for the baby. Me and Casey are adults, we can manage now. I'd also imagine you'd want some 'alone' time." Ruby pointed out. Charlie and Brax laughed at that last remark and asked us to leave so that they could discuss it. I really hoped they would say yes, I wanted to start my life with Ruby, since we'd both be going to university; it would be a perfect arrangement!

**Charlie's POV**

We called Casey and Ruby back inside to tell them our decision. I could tell they were anxious, so I told them straight away.

"We think you guys can handle this, so we're saying yes!" I told them. Ruby squealed and hugged me and Brax. Casey dragged her out of the room to buy her a coffee, which left me and Brax alone. Brax took my hands and looked at me.

"Charlie, all of this has made me realise how much I really love you. I remember the time I first saw you, and I remember the attraction between us. I can't believe how far we've come and how much we've been through, but we got through it all together. I don't want to imagine my life without you." He paused as he pulled a box out of his pocket. It was diamond ring with the words '_I love you. Always and forever'_ engraved on it. He got down on one knee. "I was going to wait until you got out of hospital, but plans change. Charlie, will you marry me?" He asked as he slid the ring onto my finger. It fitted perfectly. I grinned.

"Yes, yes, yes! Of course I will!" I shrieked as we shared a passionate kiss.

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><p><strong>What do you guys think? I was going to add the proposal in the next chapter, but I thought this was more spontaneous and exciting! Just like Charlie and Brax's relationship :) Please, please review! Even if it's just one word, it'll make me happy :D *Hugs* to each and every one of you! xx<strong>


	15. A New Hope

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait in uploading but I've been so busy! It was my birthday last week otherwise I would have updated then :/ On the bright side… I AM NOW 15 YEARS OF AGE!**

**Now that part is out of the way…**

**I can't believe it's the last chapter :'( I just want to thank everyone who reviewed this story and added it to their favourites, it means so much xx I would just like to say a special thank you to everyone who reviewed my story from the very start to the very end, it really raised my confidence and gave me the encouragement I needed to write this story. Also, I couldn't have done this without some of the wonderful ideas off you guys, give yourselves some credit! And seriously, if you ever want to PM me about anything at all, I'm a good listener Any stories you want to start but not sure? Send your idea to me, I love hearing from you guys and I'd love to give you my input :D I'll even be one of your first reviewers! ;) And if there's anything you think I need to improve on, LET ME KNOW PLEASE! I can only get better if I know what I'm doing wrong xx But seriously, When I first published my story, I didn't think it would get this far. This is the only place where I can share my writing, I'm too scared to show it to others :S But I'm glad I do share it on here xx There is no way I expected 'Tough Love' to get this far, I was happy with a handful of reviews, since it was my first fanfic. I was certainly not expecting 66 reviews! I cannot thank you guys enough for all the support you've given me, and I hope you've enjoyed this story as much as I have writing it :') But don't worry, You'll be hearing from me again soon, I can guarantee that ;) xx**

**Signing off for the last time in this story :'(**

**Lucy x**

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><p><strong>Brax's POV<strong>

**I remember the following months like it was yesterday. I remember organising the wedding.**

_11 Months ago_

"_Brax? Did you get everyone's responses?" Charlie shouted from upstairs._

"_Yep!" I shouted back to her as she walked down the stairs._

"_Are you sure you got everybody's?" She questioned me. I sighed deeply. I was starting to get used to Charlie's pregnancy hormones, she was always interrogating me! I did love her for that though. I pulled her onto my lap and I kissed her passionately._

"_You don't need to worry, everything is going to be perfect." I assured her as I kissed her baby bump. She was three months pregnant and her tummy was starting to show a tiny bit, which she was complaining about._

"_What if I can't fit into my dress? What if it makes me look really fat?" She panicked as she started to get worked up. I grabbed her hands and kissed them softly._

"_You will fit into it Charlie, and you will look absolutely stunning." I murmured. She smiled and hugged me. Unfortunately, our moment was interrupted by the doorbell ringing._

"_Oh, that'll be Bianca!" Charlie squealed as she leaped out of my lap and hopped to the door. I laughed silently at her enthusiasm._

"_How is the bride and mum-to-be?" Bianca asked as Charlie led her into the living room. Charlie nodded._

"_Yeah, I'm good thank you." Charlie answered as she rubbed her stomach. Bianca smiled and looked at me._

"_Hey Brax." She acknowledged me. I got up and gave her a hug._

"_Hey Bianca." I said. As Charlie walked into the kitchen, Bianca nudged me._

"_Have you been taking care of her and junior?" Bianca giggled. I laughed at her comment and nodded lightly._

"_Yeah, I think so anyway." I said sheepishly. Bianca looked behind me and burst out laughing as Charlie returned, carrying a plate of chocolate cake._

"_I thought you were reducing your intake of chocolate." Bianca told Charlie as they both took a slice._

"_Did I say that? It's not my fault I have cravings!" Charlie moaned. I laughed as I watched them both stuff their faces. The wedding was in two weeks, and I could hardly wait._

**I definitely remember the wedding. I remember panicking when Heath pretended to lose the rings.**

_**11 Months ago**_

"_What do you mean you can't find the rings?" I yelled at him after I dragged him out of the church. I was just about ready to wipe that smirk off his face._

"_Would you just relax?" Heath smirked._

"_How can I relax when I'm about to get married and my idiot brother lost the rings?" I bellowed. Heath sighed._

"_Brax, everything is going to be fine. And I just remembered a place I haven't checked for the rings!" Heath cried. I shook him._

"_Really? Where?" I asked, with worry evident in my voice. Heath smirked._

"_My pocket!" Heath laughed as I snatched the box from him to check if the rings were actually in there. Of course they were. I glared at Heath and he backed away._

"_Relax man! Just a pre-wedding prank." Heath confirmed. I lightly smacked his head and walked back inside._

**Heath still owes me after that. And then I remember seeing Charlie in her beautiful dress. I remember dancing with her on the beach after we sneaked away from the reception.**

_**11 Months ago- The wedding reception**_

_I was watching Charlie on the dance floor while I was talking to Liam and Alf. We decided to have a gathering at Angelo's. Since I owned the place, it made things a little bit cheaper. She looked so beautiful in her wedding dress. It was long and it flowed like a little princess-style dress. It suited her perfectly. I excused myself from the conversation and walked up behind Charlie. I lightly tapped her shoulder and she spun around._

"_Want to get out of here for a bit?" I whispered. She nodded and told the other girls that she had to go to the bathroom. I walked outside and waited for a couple of minutes until I saw Charlie emerge. I hugged her as I lead her to the beach._

"_I wondered if you'd like a more… private dance?" I offered as I held my hand out for her. She took it instantly and we started to sway, with no music._

"_Thank you for everything Brax." Charlie said gratefully as she held me tightly. "Today couldn't have been any more perfect." She grinned. I smiled at her._

"_I'm glad you liked it. I certainly did." I winked. "And now we have a baby on the way!" I murmured as I spun her around. She kissed me lightly as I rubbed her tummy. We pulled apart and she held my hand._

"_We'd better get back before people start to miss us." She laughed as she pulled me back to the restaurant._

**I think that was one of the greatest moments so far of our marriage if I'm honest. The next memory I will never forget. I most certainly remember the birth!**

_**2 months ago- The birth**_

"_What? Where is she?" I panicked as Bianca told me where they were. Apparently, Bianca and Charlie were walking along the beach when Charlie's water broke! I hung up the phone and I left the house at an incredible speed and drove to the beach, searching for Charlie. I saw two figures in the distance, one crippled over in pain._

"_Charlie!" I screamed as I ran over to her. I held onto her so she had some support._

"_Brax, we need to get to hospital, now!" Charlie whimpered in pain._

"_I know baby, we'll help you to the car." I soothed her as I gestured for Bianca to help me move her to my car. We helped her into the passenger's seat of my car and I quickly drove her to the hospital. I allowed her to lean on me as I lead her to the entrance. Sid was already there waiting._

"_Bianca called me and said you were coming." Sid explained as he lowered Charlie into a wheelchair. We rushed into a room and they put Charlie on the bed. She looked at me, the fear showing in her eyes._

"_Brax, I'm scared." She confessed. I held her hand tightly._

"_I know Charlie, but I'm going to be with you all the way. I promise." I assured her. She smiled but screamed in pain as she had another contraction._

**The next hour was the scariest of my life so far. Just seeing Charlie so scared and in so much pain was terrifying.**

_**2 months ago- The birth**_

"_One more push Charlie and then you're done!" The midwife urged Charlie. She was absolutely exhausted. I squeezed her hand._

"_One push Charlie and we can see our beautiful baby!" I encouraged her. She squeezed my hand with all her strength and did one final push._

"_Well done Charlie!" The midwife praised her. I kissed Charlie's forehead and held her head for a moment. You could see the sweat beaming on her forehead. The nurse wrapped the baby in a towel and smiled._

"_It's a little girl!" She exclaimed. I saw the tears prick Charlie's eyes and I could feel some forming in my own. The nurse walked over to us and held our little girl outstretch in her arms._

"_Would daddy like a hold while mummy has a moment to rest?" She asked as she held her out to me. I took her without a word. She was perfect, in every single way possible. I kissed her small head and held her out to Charlie, who was watching me interact with our daughter. She took her and held her against her chest. I looked on in amazement. Charlie looked so comfortable; it was as if she already knew what to do. The nurse walked over to us again._

"_Have you got a name sorted?" The nurse asked with excitement. I looked at Charlie and she nodded. We had decided on a name a few weeks ago._

"_Sophie." Charlie murmured. "Sophie May Braxton." I smiled at her as she said her name._

I wouldn't change that moment if I had the chance. As I tell you this, Charlie is right beside me, holding our beautiful daughter. She has her mother's eyes, but she has my cheeky smile. We're sat in the garden at the moment, waiting for Ruby and Casey to come and visit. Heath said he would come by later. This is my family now, and I will do whatever it takes to make them happy, to make them safe.

**What happens next…**

**A new addition to the family, how sweet. Poor Buckton must be exhausted after being re-introduced to motherhood, and Darryl must be overwhelmed with the situation too. It makes me laugh how they all think the danger is behind them, when it isn't. It's funny how they think they're safe, when they're not. They think that they are a normal family that no one is watching. But they better start realising, I will always be watching.**

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><p><strong>Finished! And yes, in case you didn't gather from the ending, I HAVE DECIDED TO WRITE A SEQUEL! I will try to start the new story soon I thought it would be best to do flashbacks to sum up the events in one chapter, I especially liked writing Heath's 'Pre-wedding prank' ;) I could just imagine him doing that :D The whole chapter was beautiful to write, and I hope it ended the story on a good note. Once again, thank you so much for everything and I hope you follow my new story when it is published! I love you guys xx<strong>


	16. NEW STORY ANNOUNCEMENT!

**Hey guys! Just to let you know that I have started the sequel and it should be up any moment! The story is called 'A Broken Promise, A Broken Heart'. Please Please Please check it out! I hope you like it!**

**Lucy xx**


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